| A | B |
|---|
| political parties | a group of people organized to influence government through winning elections and setting public policy |
| one-party system | a political system in which only one party exists or routinely controls the government |
| two-party system | a political system in which only two major parties compete for control of the government |
| multi-party system | a political system in which many parties exist and compete for control of the government |
| proportional representation | a system in which candidates are elected in proportion to the popular vote they received |
| coalition | an alliance, often temporary, of people, parties, or nations to achieve a common goal |
| independent | a voter who does not belong to or consistently support one of the main political parties |
| grassroots | people at the local level; average voters, not professional politicians |
| patronage | the practice of rewarding political allies and supporters with jobs |
| winner-take-all | an electoral system in which the person with the most votes wins; no majority needed |
| consensus | collective opinion, general agreement |
| single-memeber district | an electoral district in which only the one candidate with the most votes is elected to office |
| split ticket | a vote for candidates of more than one party in the same election |
| economic protest party | a political party dominated by feelings of economic dischontent |
| splinter party | a political party that has split off form a major party because of a serious disagreement |
| ideological party | a political party based on a particular set of beliefs or idealogy |
| single-issue party | a political party focused on one issue |
